Global Ganja Report

Months after Iowa's pharmacy board recommended the state approve a medical marijuana law, progress is stymied as a legislative leader and a board official each say the other needs to act.

US biotech firm Cannabis Science, Inc.  reports that Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer visited its latest acquisition, Montana Pain Management in Missoula, June 17. Governor Schweitzer reportedly praised the project; "You are doing it right."

After three days of searching, Mexican army troops and Quintana Roo state police on June 18 discovered 12 bodies in four cenotes (natural wells) near the Cancún airport. Last week, six bodies were found in another narcofosa (narco-grave) in Cancún.

Territorial Sen. Rory Respicio June 16 revised and reintroduced his bill that would allow for the medicinal use of marijuana on Guam. Among changes to the Compassionate Health Care Act, now Bill 423, language was added to state that doctors cannot write prescriptions for cannabis, but can recommend its use and certify that recommendation.

Oregon on June 16 became the latest state and the first in many years to officially reclassify cannabis from its status as a dangerous drug with no medical value. The Oregon Board of Pharmacy (BoP) voted 4-1 to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule II. The Oregon BoP decision comes after many months of deliberation and input from the public.

More than 200 people have been killed over the past seven days in Mexico's most violent week since President Felipe Calderón unleashed federal forces against the country's warring drug cartels.

The California State Assembly Committee on Health voted 10-3 on June 15 to pass a resolution urging the federal government to end medical marijuana raids and to "create a comprehensive federal medical marijuana policy that ensures safe and legal access to any patient that would benefit from it."

In an interview with SFGate.com's Zennie62 blog June 4, Oakland City Attorney John Russo became the first elected official to openly support cannabis legalization, which will be on the November ballot in California. Why does he support legalization? "Well, first, number one I think marijuana prohibition has been a demonstrated failure at this point, no different than alcohol prohibition in the 1920s." Russo says it's also "cooler" for the young to use marijuana and that's it's time for us to get out of "this collective denial" of the situation.